Automatic reloading mechanism for bolt action rifle



J. T. lVY

SeptQ24, 1957 AUTOMATIC RELOADING MECHANISM FOR BOLT ACTION RIFLE FiledMay 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IILVENTOR. JEss/E /W J. T. IVY

Sept. 24, 1957 AUTOMATIC RELOADING MECHANISM FOR BOLT ACTION RIFLE FiledMay 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T N \w a N 3 INVENTOR JESS/E T. /l/Yflrromvz-vs Q. Q mg g a P 4111:4041 run! vrlliflilliillntrvlullrtvllillllil! i m QM Q P Z,807,l l3 Pat nted Sept-"2.4, 1.95.?

AUTOMATIC RELOADING MECHANISM FOR BOLT ACTION RIFLE Jessie T. Ivy,Seattle, Wash.

Application May 18, 1956, Serial No. 585,761

4 Claims. (Cl. 4216) This invention relates to rifles and has referencemore particularly to a means designed especially for use with repeatingrifles of bolt action types for the automatic ejection of the emptyshell and a reloading operation after firing.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a simple,practical and relatively inexpensive mechanism, that may be made as anattachment for already existing bolt action rifles, or which might beembodied as original equipment in rifles as being manufactured, andwhich mechanism is operable by the recoil forces in the rifle uponfiring, to effect the unlocking and throwing of the bolt for ejection ofthe shell, and the compressing of spring means which effect its returnfor reloading and for locking it in place.

Further objects and advantages of the invention reside in the details ofconstruction and combination of parts embodied in the present mechanism,and in their mode of operation in combination with parts of the rifle aswill hereinafter by fully described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention,I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferredforms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a right hand side view of a bolt action repeat ing rifleequipped with an automatic reloading mechanism embodied by the presentinvention.

Fig. 1A is a left hand side view of the stock portion of the rifle,showing a face protecting attachment piece as applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the rifle as equipped with the present mechanismwith the parts thereof in positions as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional detail of the mechanismtaken on line 33 in Fig. 2, with the bolt closed and its actuating leverin bolt locking position.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig, 3 but showing the bolt lever asswung upwardly to bolt unlocking position, as the initial step requiredafter firing for ejection of the empty shell.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view, similar to that of Fig. 4 but showing thebolt partly drawn as for ejection of the empty shell.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional detail, taken on line 6--6 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a cross-section taken on line 77 in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a side view of a portion of the bolt lever actuating means.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on line 9+9 in Fig, 8.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the plunger and latch mechanism removedfrom the tubular slide.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

The present invention applies to the common types of bolt action riflesof the general character of that shown best in Fig. 1. In the severalviews, the rifle is shown to comprise a barrel 10, secured to the metalframe 11 to which the gun stock 12 is fixed in the usual manner. Thedesign of the stock, preferably, is as shown in Figs.

2 1 and 1A wherein it is seen to comprise the usual base portion 12b andan elongated forward portion 12a in which the barrel 10 and frame 11 arecradled. Because of the use of the mechanism of the present invention,it is desirable to provide the stock with a pistol grip at tachmentportion 12g which is fixed thereto just back of the trigger guard 13.

It is also desirable that a face guard 14 be applied to the stock asshown in Fig. 1A.

The barrel is also equipped with the usual type of breech bolt 15 thatis rotatably and reciprocally contained in the frame and which isadapted to be operated manually by a hand lever 16 to effect theejecting of the shell, the loading and finally closing and locking ofthe breech. This lever is fixed to the rear end of the bolt and extendsto the right hand side of the stock.

Rifles of this type have the stock chambered at the underside, justforward of the trigger guard, and fitted with means to receive acartridge holding clip, details of which have not been illustratedherein, since this means, per se, forms no part of the presentinvention.

Without use of the present invention, the normal operation for this typeof rifle for reloading after firing is, first, to swing the bolt handlever 16 upwardly from position of Fig. 1, thus to unlock the bolt;then, by means of the lever, to pull the bolt rearwardly to effect theejection of the empty shell; then by means of the lever 16, to push thebolt forwardly to effect the loading of a cartridge from the clip intothe breech of the barrel; then to swing the lever 16 downwardly to lockthe bolt in place.

With the present invention properly applied to the rifle, the recoilforces of each fired cartridge operate to effect all all the aboveejection and reloading movements and leave the gun loaded and ready forfiring at the will of the user.

The present mechanism, illustrated as an attachment, comprises a ratherelongated tubular slide 20, mounted for limited longitudinal movementlengthwise of the gun stock, parallel to the axial line of the gunbarrel slightly below and to the right thereof; this slide being mountedin guide bearings 21 and 22 that are fixed in spaced re lationship tothe rifle stock 12. The slide 20 terminates, at its forward end, shortof the breech end of the barrel, and at its rear end extends slightlybeyond the butt end of the stock, and is there. equipped with a pad 23adapted to be rested against the gun users shoulder when firing therifle; this pad normally being spaced from the end of the stock as shownin Fig. l. A rod 25 is fixed in the pad, below and parallel with theslide, and this rod is fita ted in and movable endwise through a hole 26bored through the bearing 21. Its purpose is to hold the slide fromaxial rotation without interfering with its longi tudinal movement.Forward movement of the slide 20 is limited by the pad 23 engagingagainst the butt end of the gun stock. Its rearward movement is limitedby a collar 27 that is fixed to the slide in position to engage with thefront end surface of the bearing 21.

Reciprocally fitted in the medial portion of the tubular slide, as seenin Fig. 3, is a plunger 30. At its forward end, the plunger has anintegrally formed, coaxial stem 31, of reduced diameter. Fitted in theforward end portion of the slide 20 for rotary and also for longitudinalmovement, is a sleeve 32, closed at its forward end but adapted totelescopically receive the stem 31 therein to a substantial distance.The sleeve 32 normally extends from the forward end of the slide 20, andat its forward end has a bearing portion 33, of reduced diameter, rotatably seated in a rocket 34 formed in a bearing block 35 which is fixedto the rear end of the gun frame 11.

It is shown best in Figs. 4 and 5, that the forward end portion of thestem 31 is formed lengthwise thereof and diametrically therethrough witha spirally directed slot toward its forward "a" 2,807,113 I a A orchannel 36, and that a pin 37, fixed in and extending diametricallythrough the rearward end of the sleeve 32, is contained in and ismovable along this channel. Therefore, with the bearing tip 33 of stem31 seated in the block 34, as in Fig. 1, jitwillbe iinderstood that atelescopic movement of sleeve 32 and-the plunger stem while the stem isheld against rotation in the tubular slide will efiect'axial rotation ofthe'sleeve 32 in accordance with the pitch of the spiral channel 36 andextent of forward movement of the plunger and stem. It is this rotativeaction of the sleeve that causes unlocking and locking action of thebolt, 'as will now be described.

At its forward end the sleeve .32 has a radial arm 38 fixedjhereto andat its outer end this arm has a block 39 thathaslimited longitudinallymovement therein. The block 39 pivotally mounts one end of a stud 40therein. The outer end of the stud is mounted in the knob shaped endmember 1626 ofthe bolt hand lever 16. Thus, it will be understood thatrotationof the sleeve 32, as effected by the relative forward andrearward reciprocal action of the plunger stem therein, will cause thelever arm16to be swung upwardly and downwardly between bolt'locking andunlocking positions.

Means has been shown in Fig. 3 whereby the plunger 30 is normally heldagainst longitudinal movement in the tubular slide 20. This meanscomprises a latch member 45 that is pivotally mounted on a transversepivot pin 46, directed transversely through the forward end portion ofthe latch and diametrically through the rear end portion of the plunger.The latch member, as noted in Fig. 6, is contained in a slot 47 formedlongitudinally in the plunger, and it is yieldingly urged outwardly atits free end to latching position .by pressure of a small coil spring 48contained in a seat in the base of the slot 47 55 surrounds the plungerstem between the end surfaces of the plunger and sleeve. This springurges the sleeve extended position, as seen in Fig. 3, at all. times.

.When the boss '45x of the latch member is disengaged from the slot 50,the plunger 30 is then free to move rearwardly. in the tubular slide 20.However, this plunger 30 is at all times held against axial turning inthe slide by means of astud 56 extended outwardly therefrom into av slot57 that is formed lengthwise in asidewall of the slide. A'heavy coilspring 58 is contained under compression in the rearward end portion ofthe slide, between the rear end ofplunger 30 and a plug 60 that isthreaded into the rear end of the slide and adjustable to regulatethe'spring pressure.

The means provided for releasing the latch 45 as required for reloadingoperation comprises a push rod 65, best shown in Fig. 6, that iscontained for endwise movement in a channel 66 that is formed lengthwiseof the plunger 30, and is extended into the stem portion thereof. At itsrear end, the rod 65 terminates in a pointed tip 67 that seats pivotallyin a socket 67' formed in the forward end surface of the latch 45 at apoint above the level of ,the pivot pin 46 as shown in Fig. 6. At itsforward end, the rod 65 as contained in channel 66 projects slightlyabove the surface of the stem. Thisv provides that when the sleeve 32is. actuated rearwardly along the stem as presently explained, it willengage'at its rear end against the forward end of the rod 65 and forcethe rod rearwardly, and thus cause it to act against the latch 45 torelease the latch lug 45x from the tube slot 50 thus to free the plungerfor rearward movement in the slide. a

Assuming that the various parts of the mechanism are i so constructed,and that they are assembled and applied to a rifle as described, andthat after the cartridge clip has been applied to the magazine and afirst shell is loaded into the barrel by hand operation as usual, afterthat, the automatic unloading and loading operation is as follows:

With all parts in the relative positions shown in Fig. 1, and the pad 23rested against the hunters shoulder, the gun is fired in the usual way.The recoil of the gun, under the force of the fired cartridge, drivesthe gun rearwardly. This causes a forward movement of the slide 20relative to the gun stock 12 and barrel. The plunger 30, being locked tothe sleeve 20 by latch 45 at that time, moves with the slide, causingthe plunger stem 31 to move forwardly into the sleeve 32 against theresistance of spring 55. By reason of the pin 37, which is fixed in therear end of the sleeve, extending through the spiral groove 36 formedalong the stem, this relative longitudinal movement of'stem and sleeveeffects the rotation'of the sleeve and an incident upward swinging ofthe bolt operating lever 16, as from the locked position in Fig. l tothat of Fig. 4, to thus unlock the bolt. This action also causes thesleeve 32 to engage the forward end'of push rod 65 to'push it rearwardlyand cause it to release the latch 45 from the slide and free the plunger30 for rearward movement. Then, the force of the expanding gases in thegun barrel, acting against the unlocked bolt 15 drives it rearwardly;the plunger 30' being forced rearwardly with the rearward travel of thebolt 15; As the bolt'moves rearwardly, the arm 38 at the forward end'ofthe sleeve 32, enters a longitudinal slot 70 that is formed in the topwall of the tubular slide as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The rearward actionof the bolt 15 effects the ejectionof the empty shell preparatory to areloading operation, and the rearward travel 'of the plunger 30 causesthe coiled spring 58 to be'further compressed. Then, with the force ofthe explosion expended, the coil spring 58 expands and forces theplunger forwardly, moving the same back to normal position and therebyreturning the bolt to a closed position, and with this action, the latch45 carried in the plunger reseats itself in the slide slot 50. Thecoiledspring 55 which is still compressed at this time then expands andforces the sleeve 32 forwardly along the spirally channeled stem 31 and,by the pin and slot connection previously explained, the sleeve iscaused to rotate and swing the lever 16 back to bolt locking position.Thus, a shell has been ejected, and a new cartridge has been loaded intothe barreland the bolt locked. V 3

Where guns are being manufactured, the bearings 21-22, pistol gripportion and face plate might be made integral with the stock.

What I claim as new is: I

1. In combination with a. rifle of the character described; an automaticreloading mechanism comprising a tubular slide mounted on the riflestock and forwardly yieldable relative thereto, and extended to the rearthereof, and equipped at its rear end with a shoulder engaging pad, aplunger. slidably keyed in the slide,- a sleeve telescopically fitted tothe forward end of the plunger and extending from the forward end of theslide into abutting contact with the rifle frame, a recoil absorbingspring contained in the slide and acting against the plunger to urge itforwardly after recoil forces have been dissipated, a recoil absorbingspring acting against the sleeve and plunger to urge the sleeveforwardly along the plunger as recoil forces are, dissipated meanswhereby relative telescopic movements'of the sleeve effect its rotationin opposite directions. accordingly, and means operatively connectingthe sleeve with the actuating arm of the rifle bolt whereby its rotativemovements in opposite directions tion by the pressure of said springs.

3. In combination with a rifle of the character described, an automaticreloading mechanism therefor comprising a tubular slide mounted on therifle stock and extended to the rear thereof and equipped with ashoulder pad, and adapted to yield for relative forward movementincident to recoil of the rifle when fired, a plunger slidably keyed inthe slide, a recoil absorbing spring acting against the plunger to urgeit forwardly, a sleeve telescopically applied to the forward end of theplunger and extended therefrom into abutment with the rifle frame, asecond recoil spring acting against the sleeve to urge it forwardlyalong the plunger, a releasable latch means locking the plunger againstrecoil movement in the slide; said sleeve having operative connectionwith the actuating arm of the rifle bolt for unlocking and locking itwith turning of the sleeve in opposite directions, coacting means onsleeve and plunger whereby relative forward movement of the plunger inthe sleeve rotates the sleeve for unlocking the bolt, and then effectsthe release of said latch for rearward movement of the plunger andsleeve under recoil forces for shell ejection; said parts being returnedto initial position by said springs after recoil forces have beendissipated.

4. In combination, with a bolt action repeating rifle of the characterdescribed; an automatic reloading mechanism comprising a tubular slidemounted on and extending along the rifle stock and to the rear thereof,and equipped at its rear end with a shoulder engaging pad, and adaptedfor relative forward movement under recoil action of the gun when fired,a plunger slidably keyed in the slide, a recoil absorbing spring meansconfined in the slide and acting against the plunger to return it to itsforward position after recoil, a latch normally retaining the plungeragainst rearward movement in the slide, a sleeve tele scopically appliedto the forward end portion of the plunger and extended therefrom intoabutting contact with the gun frame, a spring contained in the slide andacting against the sleeve to urge it from a retracted to its forwardposition after recoil; said plunger having a slot formed spirallytherealong and said sleeve being formed with a slot follower wherebyrelative telescopic movements of the plunger and sleeve eflect axialrotation of the sleeve in opposite directions, an arm extended from thesleeve and operatively connected with the actuating arm of the riflebolt for effecting its functional operation, means operable by thesleeve when moved to its limit rearwardly along the plunger to releasesaid latch for rearward travel of the plunger in the slide and thecompression thereby of said recoil absorbing spring means; said plungerbeing returned to normal position by said recoil absorbing spring meansafter recoil forces are expended, thus to move said plunger forwardlyfor closing the bolt, and said sleeve being returned forwardly along theplunger under expanding force of the second mentioned spring to effectthe locking action of the bolt.

No references cited.

